Microcars, 3-wheel cars and small cars

XEV LSEV

Some manufacturers already have tried to optimize the car production by using 3D printing technology. And indeed, the advent of additive manufacturing in the production of vehicles is getting better and better. However, the Italian company X Electrical Vehicle (XEV) goes one step further and has created the electric car LSEV, the first 3D printed electric car that is suitable for mass production. In April 2018, the LSEV will be presented at the Auto China Show.

According to the company, the first 3D-printed LSEV car is already being produced in Shanghai China, and is expected to go into mass production by the end of the year, as the video linked below shows. In the second quarter of 2019, the 3D-printed electric car will then be available on the market, with about 7,000 pre-orders have been received so far. Among the notable customers who have already pre-ordered is the car rental ARVAL and the Italian Post.

All visible parts of the XEV LSEV car are printed using 3D printing technology, except for the chassis, seats and glass. The compact 3D-printed car weighs just 450 kg. The number of components in the car dropped from over 2,000 units to only 57. The use of additive manufacturing technologies also reduced investments by around 70 percent. This allows XEV to work much faster without waiting for funding.

XEV LSEV is slightly smaller than Smart Fortwo: length – 2.5 m, width – 1.3 m, height – 1.5 m. The interior is designed for two people. Maximum speed is 70 kph. On one charge of lithium-ion batteries it can travel up to 150 km.